Chapter Nine.
Mike
I was on the other side of Camden, checking out some land, when the call came in. It was the girl’s school.
“Hello?”
“Mr Adams. This is Miss Loafer. I’m very sorry to be calling, but we’ve had a plumbing issue. We need you to pick up Raven and Robin,” a woman said.
“That’s awkward, as I’m over an hour and a half away,” I replied, annoyed.
“The school is being evacuated immediately. It’s a sewage problem,” she answered delicately.
“What do you want me to do? Wave a magic wand? I won’t be able to get there for two hours.”
“Can they go with another parent?” she inquired, and I frowned. Hell no, that would open the gates to attention I didn’t want. Fuck! Wait.
“I’ll call you back,” I said and hung up. I punched in Dynamo’s number, almost certain she’d refuse. Jude and the guys were out on a fishing trip, so they were a no.
“What do you want?” she asked without preamble.
A faint smile crossed my lips. “The school just called. They’ve a sewage problem.”
“Okay, that’s shitty.” A chuckle left me at her words, then she followed with, “What’s it got to do with me?”
“I’m two hours away.”
“Get your friends to pick them up.”
“They’re on a fishing trip,” I replied.
Dynamo sighed. “And you want me to fetch them?”
“It’s that or one of the school moms, and I’d rather be skinned alive,” I retorted.
Dynamo chuckled coldly. “That bad?”
“Fuckin’ awful. If I ask one of them, then it’s giving them an in. I don’t want to give them the slightest encouragement.”
“You owe me two for this,” Dynamo said.
“No problem. Please get my girls, Dynamo. Just think of them turning green from the stench,” I cajoled.
“Oh, shut up! I’m going. Ring and let the school know. I doubt they’ll hand them over to me,” Dynamo snapped, and I grinned. This woman did it for me!
Dynamo
When I arrived, there was quite a crowd. The children waited in the recreation yard, and several teachers stood by the gates handing out kids. I slipped out of Warden’s SUV and put my cut on before heading towards the teacher.
“Excuse me, I think you’re in the wrong place,” a woman said, looking down her nose at me.
I stopped and stared her down. She held my gaze for a few minutes before squirming. Blonde, immaculate hair, overdressed for a school run and makeup done with a heavy hand; this was one of the women Mike wanted to avoid.
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” I moved past her, and she followed on my heels.
“Stop, hey, you don’t have children here!” she exclaimed.
She reached out and grabbed my arm, and I stopped dead and turned to stare at her. All her fluffy indignation faded as she caught sight of my expression.
“Don’t ever touch me without permission,” I hissed. She blanched at the murder in my eyes and stepped back.
“We’re picking up our children,” a second woman stated, approaching with a third behind her.
“And?”
“You don’t have any here. I’d be aware,” she said snottily.
“Shows how little you know,” I snapped and turned away.
“Who are you collecting?”
“My boyfriend’s kids,” I taunted, knowing that would drive them nuts.
“And who’s that? There’s only four single dads here,” bitch one demanded.
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” I approached a teacher and tapped my cut and showed them my driving licence. “Raven and Robin Adams.”
Horrified gasps came from behind me. “Did she just ask for Mike’s kids?” the third woman asked loudly.
“No, it’s a mistake,” the first replied. The teacher checked my ID out and turned to the lined-up kids.
“Robin and Raven Adams, your… suitable adult is here,” she called, and I grinned maliciously as she stammered over what to call me.
Robin saw me first and shrieked, shooting her hands into the air. “Monster butt-kicker! Dynamo!” she screeched and raced across the yard despite an assistant’s best attempts to slow her down. She lunged at me and wrapped her arms around my waist.
Shocked, I took a few moments to hug her back. “Hey kiddo. You ready to blow this joint?”
“Yup.”
Raven approached a bit more warily. “Hi. Why are you here?”
“Your dad is across town and couldn’t get here. He asked me to collect you,” I replied as the teacher handed me a clipboard and pointed at the girl’s names.
“Raven, honey, are you okay? Do you know this… lady?”
“Hello, Miss Pamela, yes, I do,” Raven responded cautiously.
“I told you, Raven, call me Auntie Pamela. Maybe I should call your father and check this is okay? Do you have his number?” the second lady, Pamela, demanded.
“If you don’t have Mike’s number, then the girls won’t be giving you it. And they won’t be calling you Auntie Pamela. That is incredibly presumptuous,” I intervened as Raven dug her toe into the ground. It was obvious she felt awkward.
“I’m protecting his children. Mike and I are very close,” Pamela sneered.
I held her gaze calmly. Bitch! “I doubt it, or you’d have Mike’s phone number. Say goodbye, girls.”
“Robin! She’s claiming to be your dad’s girlfriend. We all know he’s single, so darling, I’m very concerned about this,” the second woman intervened.
“Miss Shauna…” Robin looked torn; she clearly didn’t like lying, but she didn’t like these women either. Annoyed, I sent Shauna a look that made her step back.
“What is wrong with you? How dare you ask Raven to compromise herself and Mike’s privacy? If Mike doesn’t choose to share his private life, that’s his business. How desperate are you?” I snapped and, taking their hands, walked away. “Who wants takeout?”
“Me!” both girls squealed. Takeout it was because I wasn’t a cook; that was for sure.
Mike
I walked in much later than planned. There’d been a terrible accident, and I’d been stuck in traffic for two hours. Hopefully Dynamo hadn’t killed my kids, as they could be handfuls. Letting myself in, I was surprised at how quiet it was. Shit. What had Dynamo done with them?
I heard a scream from the backyard and hurried through the house. What I saw there made me pause.
“Again!” Dynamo instructed Raven.
My daughter was red-faced and panting, but had a huge grin on her face. Raven stepped forward and threw a punch. She hit Dynamo’s hand, who shook it and let out an ‘ouch’.
“Way better. See how that didn’t hurt your shoulder?” Dynamo asked.
Raven nodded. “It felt great,” she admitted.
I looked for Robin and grinned when I saw her trying to do push-ups.
“Stop sticking your ass in the air,” Dynamo ordered, and Robin collapsed to the ground.
“It’s so hard,” Robin wailed.
“Getting fit is, kiddo. Come on, five more and keep your butt down,” Dynamo commanded.
“What is going on here?” I asked. Three female heads turned in my direction, and Robin huffed. I was puzzled, but she finished her five, leapt up, and raced over. Raven threw three more punches and then slammed into me, too.
“We’re learning to kick monster butt!” Robin exclaimed.
“But we’ve gotta get fit first,” Raven added.
“And every time we get distracted or try to do something else, Miss Dynamo adds on five more!” Robin started looking grumpy.
Ah, that explained the delayed greeting. Dynamo shrugged at my curious look. “Makes sense they can kick the monster’s butt.”
I nodded slowly, studying her. She was as beautiful as ever, and my cock twitched. My eyes latched onto her rounded ass as she bent over and picked a glove up.
“Raven has good form; Robin needs to burn off surplus energy and has the attention span of a gnat. But she makes up for that with enthusiasm,” Dynamo announced, turning and cocking a hip when she caught me checking her out.
I didn’t bother hiding my interest and saw a conflicted look cross her face. Dynamo held my gaze. “You don’t want damaged goods, Mike,” she murmured and began heading to the house.
Raven and Robin had already disappeared inside.
I reached out and put a hand in front of Dynamo, careful not to touch her.
“You don’t know what I want,” I replied.
Her head twisted to look at me. “You don’t need someone who was raped repeatedly by men she can’t identify.
I ain’t the girl next door, not mommy material.
And I most certainly don’t want a cock anywhere near me for the foreseeable future.
I think I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime,” Dynamo murmured.
“And if I have to use my hand, I don’t give a fuck. But we’ve an attraction.”
“Wasn’t aware you were so imaginative. Guess that’s where your girls get it from,” Dynamo shot back.
I stepped nearer, considerate of her personal space and remaining careful not to touch her. “You and me, it’s going to happen. Don’t know when or where, but it is.”
Dynamo inched closer, and I froze. This closeness could trigger a panic attack. Mindful of her possible triggers, I placed my hands behind my back.
Awareness of my action shone in her eyes, and there was surprise too. “Think what you will. But I never want to ever fuck a man again. In fact, I’d rather cut his cock off.”
Dynamo stepped away and held my gaze before walking towards the house.
“More than one way to have a relationship,” I yelled.
Dynamo whirled a finger in the air and disappeared. A smile crossed my lips. There was nothing more I enjoyed other than a challenge, and Dynamo had just thrown one down.
For the next few days, Dynamo managed to avoid me.
As the girls were off school until Monday, they came with me to the temporary headquarters.
Shit was hitting the fan as several of those who’d been arrested and then freed thanks to smarmy lawyers were now having attacks of guilt.
Three of the assholes had come forward and declared their own wrongdoings.
They weren’t only admitting to the slaves they’d bought but murder and a multitude of other crimes.
Jude had sent two teams to different countries to bring victims back.
So far, thirty had been recovered. Ten had died in slavery, including a thirteen-year-old girl.
There was a special hell for men like Winson.
The scandal was everywhere, and the media were drowning in new revelations every hour.
Little did they know, there was more to come.